Transport dept gives around Rs 45 cr to city and state police

The state Transport department has given around Rs 45 crore to the city and state police for the implementation of Safe Drive Save Life project.

Alapan Bandyopadhyay, principal secretary, Transport department said that the department had given Rs 10.21 crore to the city police in 2016-17 and another Rs 5.64 crore will be disbursed. In 2017-18, Rs 1.77 crore has been sanctioned under the project, raising the total to Rs 15.64 crore. In the past four decades, such huge amounts of money had never been spent to improve traffic management and to consequently reduce road accidents, which is a major menace in the country.

Similarly, the state police had received Rs 23 crore under the Safe Drive Save Life scheme in 2016-17 and another Rs 5 crore will be given, raising the total amount to Rs 28 crore.

The money has been sanctioned to the city and state police to install CCTV cameras and other equipment to monitor traffic movement more effectively.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had given special emphasis on the Safe Drive Save Life programme to reduce the number of road accidents in the state. In all the administrative review meetings held in different districts, Banerjee had instructed the district administration to implement the programme effectively.

To reduce the number of road accidents, the city police have taken several measures. They have banned the plying of motorcycles on Maa flyover to stop racing by two-wheelers. Also, cameras have been installed to check overspeeding. Vehicles flouting the stipulated speed limits on the flyover will be booked. Fuel stations have been instructed not to give fuel to drivers and owners of two-wheelers riding without helmets. To make the use of helmet compulsory, special drives have been conducted all over the city and errant motorcycle riders have been fined. Senior police officers said that because of the measures taken up under Safe Drive Save Life scheme, the number of road accidents in the city has come down and more motorcycle riders have started wearing helmets.

The Technical Education department has chalked out an elaborate programme to train professional drivers in the Industrial Training Institute (ITI). Senior state government officials feel that this will help improve the driving skills of professional drivers. The training will be given at the district and state levels in collaboration with the state Transport and Technical Education departments. The blueprint for the scheme is being prepared and will be implemented soon.

Senior police officers felt that training is also required for owner drivers and steps should be taken to improve their driving skills as well.